Statistics don’t measure Robert Griffin III’s total impact on a game. They also don’t measure his importance to his franchise or his popularity in the nation’s capital and beyond.

Simply put, Griffin returned legitimate hope for a championship to the Redskins. He led them to a division title for the first time since 1999 and created a buzz throughout Washington and the NFL. He put fear in opponents, who knew facing Griffin was like facing lightning ready to strike.

Griffin is the Sporting News Rookie of the Year, headlining an extraordinary rookie class of 2012. Two other first-year quarterbacks also led their team to the playoffs—Andrew Luck of the Colts and Russell Wilson of the Seahawks. However, Griffin far outdistanced everyone else to win our award, with 363 votes ahead of Luck (213), Wilson (124) and Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin (57). The award was determined in a vote of more than 800 players, coaches and executives.

Almost nothing about Griffin seemed rookie-like. Not the way he avoided interceptions, throwing just five all season. Not the way he led teammates. Not the way he handled immense attention and expectations.

The Redskins closed the regular season with a seven-game winning streak that showcased Griffin at his best. He ran the read option like an orchestra conductor, throwing accurate darts to his receivers while darting through the secondary with sprinter’s speed.

Late in the season, Griffin had five consecutive games in which his passer rating topped 100. In November and December, the Redskins transformed themselves from a 3-6 team into a NFC East champions, and the rest of the division was put on notice.

“I’m pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East,” said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, in one of the year’s more telling comments. “If he stays healthy, he’s going to play havoc on defenses for a long time.”

Unfortunately, Griffin’s long-term health remains a question mark. He underwent major knee surgery Jan. 9 to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament and to fix his already reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament, which he injured as college sophomore. At age 22, he is recovering from his second major surgery on his right knee.

Nobody knows if Griffin will be ready for Week 1 next season. Nobody knows if Griffin will lose any of his explosiveness or agility. Nobody knows how long Griffin’s strong but wiry frame can withstand NFL punishment if he continues to run so often.

This we can count on: Griffin will do everything in his power to pick up where he left off. His rookie season was special. But after the playoff loss to the Seahawks, knowing that he might be facing surgery, Griffin left Redskins fans with a message.

“We actually got a chance to sit at the dinner table and experience success, and it was a good meal,” Griffin said. “Now we want to go back and get dessert, and we’ll be ready to get dessert next year.”

Griffin's numbers

Passing yards: 3,200

Touchdowns-interceptions: 20-5

Passer rating: 102.4

Rushing yards: 815

Rushing touchdowns: 7

Previous winner

About the awards

Sporting News polled more than 800 NFL players, coaches and executives for our 2012 awards. Everyone voted for offensive and defensive player of the year, rookie of the year and comeback player of the year. Only coaches and executives voted for coach of the year, coordinator of the year, executive of the year and SN’s All-Pro team.